Red, White & Blue Quinoa Smoothie

Author - Alyssa Rimmer

A simple fruit smoothie recipe that's packed with summer produce! This watermelon smoothie is perfect for breakfast + is loaded with nutritious ingredients!

I'm realizing as I'm writing this that I haven't shared a new smoothie recipe with you in ages. It's crazy because I usually share the things I eat on a daily basis, like new salads, lunches, and breakfasts, but for some reason I've skipped the smoothies lately.

I drink smoothies on an almost daily basis and I'm sharing one of my new favorites with you today. It's the perfect summer drink.

I'm calling it the Red, White and Blue smoothie because, although it doesn't look like a technicolored glass of fruit, the main ingredients are just that. Plus, it's almost 4th of July, so we should probably celebrate with something patriotic, no?

For me, what makes the perfect smoothie is the texture. I know it's kind of a weird thing to say, but I really don't like smoothies that are thin and watery. When I drink a smoothie, I want it to be thick and creamy, so much so that I can eat it with a spoon.

A spoon-worthy smoothie is perfection in my eyes. The trick to getting a spoon-worthy smoothie is to use ultra-creamy ingredients as your base. My two staples are frozen banana and avocado.

On top of the base, it helps to have a few ingredients that help give the smoothie some substance. I like to add chia seeds to my smoothies because they're so gelatinous (and good for you!), if you let it sit for just two or three minutes after blending, it turns into this thick glass of yumminess.

My other favorite ingredient to add to smoothies to make them nice and thick is quinoa. Another tip that may sound a little strange given what's traditionally made with it, but we break the rules were. We ad quinoa to everything. And adding quinoa to your smoothies will:

Make them thicker

Make them more filling

Add more protein

Add other essential vitamins and nutrients you wouldn't otherwise get

And it doesn't add any flavor

With this particular smoothie, I wanted something that was fruit-based but also super summery and light. Fresh berries and watermelon pretty much scream summer to me and you're always bound to find them in my fridge, so that's the direction we went.

And seriously. Now it's time to get off those buns and make yourself some sweet summer smoothies. And who knows…if you're feeling adventurous perhaps you'll even whip these babies up next Friday to celebrate the 4th!

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tag @simplyquinoa on Instagram with your creations! we love sharing what you make with the community!

I can’t wait to see!

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Hey there! I’m Alyssa, certified holistic nutritionist and founder of SQ. My goal is to help you take simple, practical and personal steps to living a healthier life so that you can be well + truly healthy.learn more

This shake looks great – I make a protein shake every morning so changing it up a bit will be good. I am not fond of avocado, though; is it necessary to use that in this shake or can you substitute something else? Thanks.

Hey there! I’m Alyssa, certified holistic nutritionist and founder of SQ. My goal is to help you take simple, practical and personal steps to living a healthier life so that you can be well + truly healthy.learn more

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